


Five Times the Vod'Alor Wanted to Shoot Hondo (And One Time He Couldn't Be Bothered)

by evilkillerpoptarts



Series: It's Always Midday on Florrum [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Clone kids getting to be kids, Clones, Cody occasionally takes breaks, Cody's apartment is Sad, Gen, Good question!, Hondo Ohnaka: Agent of Chaos, Hondo has the Twilight lo-jacked, Hondo is irrationally good at locating Force-sensitive children, Hondo tap-dances on Cody's last nerve, Hondo's coat has many pockets, M/M, Nuna Nuna Convor, Podfic Welcome, Soft Wars fanfic, Star Wars AU - Soft Wars, Star Wars AU-AU - Soft Wars, The "Twilight" is a bucket of bolts only a Skywalker could love, The Shebse absolutely will gang up on Cody for any reason, Vod'alor, What's On The Chip, Widget and Gizmo are Living Their Best Life, also possibly Obi-Wan himself, but only on Zhelldays, did you know it's Midday on Florrum?, heathy conversation, it's always Midday on Florrum, mention of Vode in rough circumstances, most are full of candy, slight angst, someone enforces the 'no office cot' ban, the Littles make everything worthwhile
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25027273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilkillerpoptarts/pseuds/evilkillerpoptarts
Summary: They were home.  They werefree.It was still sinking in for some of their brothers, but laughter was becoming more frequent and life more pleasant as endless drills and target practice gave way to creating homes and hospitals and hangars for their ships and lightrail hubs to keep them connected.  There werefarmsbeing planted. It was both absurd and marvelous.  They were creating alifehere with their own hands and ingenuity.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: It's Always Midday on Florrum [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812385
Comments: 97
Kudos: 348
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	1. Still on High Alert

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Project0506](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I have most of the Soft Wars Discord to thank for the chaos that is Hondo Ohnaka driving Cody (and also myself) crazy one shenanigan at a time. Projie, Wanderingjedihistorian, Sailorsol, RogueLadyVader, CmonCmon, Thell, Ace, Lt. Aero, Shira, Rookie, probably another half-dozen of you that I can't think of... Kark all of you kindly. ;)
> 
> Many thanks to SailorSol who loaned me Krayt, who is possibly the cutest Little of all time, and to RogueLadyVader for betaing!

  


Oya Vode was somehow already months behind them, now. Concord Dawn was very much an ongoing flurry of activity at all hours. The panicked, raw edge of it had been settled and soothed by the safety and routine the older vode had found in the work of creating their home.  
  
  
They were home. They were _free._ It was still sinking in for some of their brothers, but laughter was becoming more frequent and life more pleasant as endless drills and target practice gave way to creating homes and hospitals and hangars for their ships and lightrail hubs to keep them connected. There were _farms_ being planted. It was both absurd and marvelous. They were creating a _life_ here with their own hands and ingenuity.  
  
  
Being Vod’alor kept Cody absurdly busy no matter how much he delegated. But after the first time he’d been eagerly drawn into a game with the Littles, he had scheduled playtime for every Zhellday. If he happened to be drawn in more frequently, he certainly didn’t mind. It helped him unwind little by little, listening to their laughter and joining in on whatever game or overly complicated plot they were acting out that day. They had started with the simple games they’d been allowed on Kamino, initially a little hesitant to play anything more complicated than Nuna, Nuna, Convor. As time passed their play became bolder and more elaborate and Cody’s heart sang to see it.  
  
  
Cody had handed off his blaster to one of the ever-present Responsible Adults and removed the few pieces of armor he still wore before joining in, not wanting to accidentally pinch or bruise anyone. He usually waited on the periphery to be noticed but the Littles had quickly caught on to his schedule and had started to lay in wait to ambush him. Passing under a tree, Cody heard a roar and a weight hit his back. Instinct screamed within him _it’s an ambush, get it off your back, you’re unarmed no armor not safe_ until giggles met his ear. He blindly stumbled forward under the child’s momentum, reaching up to help steady the small arms wrapping tight around his neck, as he breathed and focused on being _here_ and not some far-flung battlefield fighting to stay alive. Cody finally caught his balance and gave the cackling child the opportunity to wrap skinny ankles around his waist.  
  
  
“I got you!” the boy crowed directly in his ear. Cody winced at the volume but that didn’t stop him from breaking into a grin.  
  
  
“You did! That was very clever,” he praised. The Little pressed his face into Cody’s neck, beaming bright as a star. “What’s your name?”  
  
  
“Krayt!” he proclaimed loudly. “I’m gonna be a krayt dragon when I grow up!” That startled a laugh out of Cody.  
  
  
“Sure,” he agreed easily. “You can be whatever you want.” He bounced a bit on his toes. “Do you have a good grip?”  
  
  
Krayt squeezed tight and Cody regretted asking. He reached up to loosen the grip around his throat just a tiny bit and made his way towards the other Littles, who were eagerly watching. Krayt was wriggling in excitement and Cody made a grab for his wrists to keep him in place, holding him gently.  
  
  
“I caught the Vod’alor!” Krayt declared, squirming free and jumping down once they reached his agemates. Cody could only laugh as he realized Krayt was wearing a homemade cape that vaguely resembled a krayt dragon. The boy leapt on another Little with a roar similar to the one he’d used when he’d pounced on Cody. Cody was quickly rolled into their play, figuratively and literally. The Littles talked over one another as they told him about their day, the objective of their game (which differed from child to child) and whatever else popped into their heads. At some point he found himself buried in a giggling dogpile when he vaguely heard footsteps approaching. The cadence wasn’t right, somehow. Cody glanced up as best he could without ending up with someone’s knee in his eye, spotting unfamiliar black boots and a trailing maroon coat.  
  
  
“Greetings, Vod’alor, my friend!”  
  
  
Cody’s blood ran cold. He was too far away from his armor, his blaster, all these Littles and he _couldn’t protect them_...  
  
  
“Hondo Ohnaka,” Cody managed with as much dignity and gravitas as one could while buried in small children. The older minders were already approaching to collect their charges. Cody carefully climbed to his feet, mindful of tiny hands. “Why are you on my planet?” _And why hasn’t anyone shot you yet,_ he added mentally. As if summoned by the thought, the Responsible Adult he’d left in charge of his armor and blaster appeared at his elbow, handing him the small pile.  
  
  
Hondo looked both delighted and affronted at the same time. “What, am I not welcome on your beautiful Concord Dawn?” he asked cheerfully as Cody donned his armor, feeling much more settled once every piece was in place and his blaster was safely at his side. The Weequay looked down at the milling Littles, most of whom were sticking close to their Vod’alor despite the cajoling of their minders. “I have something I need to discuss with you,” Hondo said, in a tone that was marginally more serious. “But first I will cleverly distract your honor guard here.” A handful of candy was produced from one of Hondo’s many, many pockets. A dozen pairs of hopeful eyes turned at once to Cody, begging for permission. Cody eyed Hondo suspiciously for a moment but knew the pirate wouldn’t dare hurt a Little, especially not here in their own home. He nodded and both the candy and the entire group of Littles vanished in an instant, leaving the two alone.  
  
  
“Peacetime is a good look on you, Vod’alor,” Hondo said, grinning at him. “Grass stains and all.”  
  
  
Cody idly dusted grass out of his hair. There wasn’t much he could do at this point to regain any sort of control over Hondo’s impression of him but he still felt the mulish need to try. Hondo was simply… Hondo, though, and Cody quickly gave up. “What did you need to discuss? If it’s Obi-Wan, he _is_ an adult and you’ll have to go track him down yourself, he isn’t here at the moment.”  
  
  
Hondo laughed, but his smile had dimmed. “Oh, no, this has nothing to do with Kenobi. I have pirate business to discuss.”  
  
  
Cody pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Pirate business.”  
  
  
“Yes.” Hondo started ambling in the direction he’d come from, where the spaceport was being built. Cody could see his ship from where they stood. “I happened to board a very nice freighter the other day, you see, and it had some excellent cargo! I will be fantastically rich provided none of my crew double-cross me this time.” He beamed, already knowing that was inevitable and had likely already happened. “However! There were a few individuals aboard who were not members of the crew and did not want to become pirates, despite it being an _excellent_ career choice, so I saw fit to bring them to you.”  
  
  
Cody’s stomach hit his shoes at the implication and he grabbed Hondo’s arm in a vice grip. “You found Vode?”  
  
  
Hondo nodded. “They are already with your medics, don’t worry! All six are as well as can be expected. Now I am certain you plan to search the galaxy for any missing brothers, but I was unsure how soon you planned to begin to look.”  
  
  
“There are already crews out searching,” Cody said, hope blooming in his chest at the assurance that the handful Hondo had found were okay.  
  
  
“Might I suggest they start in the Outer Rim, particularly Hutt territory.” Hondo’s voice had gone soft and sharp. “I am a pirate; I do not deal in slaves. It’s distasteful! But men like your Vode, they are excellent workers. I hear things.” Hondo gently pried Cody’s fingers from their white-knuckled grip on his coat and pressed a comm into his palm. “And I offer you my ears, Vod’alor.”  
  
  
Cody swallowed. “Thank you,” he managed, at once overwhelmed. Hondo nodded and immediately that insufferable grin was back.  
  
  
“Do not worry about it, my friend! I will find a suitable method for you to repay me later,” Hondo assured him cheerfully, clapping him on the back and continuing towards his ship, gangplank already down and waiting. “Just remember I do not accept Republic credits!”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a
> 
> Vode: brothers; in this case, the Clones as a people  
> Vod'alor: Clan head of the Vode. (Soft Wars-specific)


	2. Adjusted Parameters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soft whirring of familiar rotors dragged Cody’s attention to the open office window. Widget and Gizmo had been so _sad_ that Obi-Wan wasn’t around to drop things for them to catch that Anakin had widened their parameters a bit to keep them occupied. After his last unexpected visit from Hondo, Cody had requested a very specific addition to said parameters that Anakin had gleefully added to their programming on the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, many thanks to the Soft Wars Discord, particularly wanderingjedihistorian whom I straight-up stole dialogue from when tossing this one back and forth. Also thanks to Shira for the beta!

  


It was… very late. Nearly late enough to swing back around to early, if the glimmer of light at the horizon was to be believed. The administration building was busy as ever but Cody’s office was quiet, filled only with the soft sounds of his typing and the occasional shuffle as he went looking for a missing datapad or piece of flimsi. His eyes burned and the words swam on the datapad he was squinting at. He knew he needed to get some sleep, but that would require leaving and going back to his apartment. He’d had a perfectly serviceable cot in his office at first, but after a month the other Shebse closed ranks on him and bullied him both out of his cot and into an apartment. Cody had argued that he didn’t particularly _need_ an apartment, the cot was comfortable enough, he had a footlocker for his other belongings, living in his office was fine, really, and other Vode needed the space more than he did.  
  
  
The varying degrees of horror he’d gotten from the other four had been startling. Even _Wolffe_ had been alarmed. There had been A Stern Lecture from all of them (though mostly Ponds) reminding him _you need to set a good example, Cody_ and _you need your own home, Cody._ He could still remember just how earnest Rex was when he’d tacked on _the whole galaxy’s watching to see what **you** do, Cody, you’re the Vod’alor. You’re setting the precedent for all of us._  
  
  
There hadn’t been any way to escape their united front other than to give in and agree to the apartment. Cody would even begrudgingly admit that it was nice enough. He was still bitter about the enforcement of the “no office cot” rule, though. Sometimes a man just needed to take a nap without having to walk through the entirety of the administrative complex, dodging fifteen problems he didn’t have the mental wherewithal for along the way, only to arrive at a too-empty apartment that still smelled like new paint.  
  
  
The soft whirring of familiar rotors dragged Cody’s attention to the open office window. Widget and Gizmo had been so _sad_ that Obi-Wan wasn’t around to drop things for them to catch that Anakin had widened their parameters a bit to keep them occupied. After his last unexpected visit from Hondo, Cody had requested a very specific addition to said parameters that Anakin had gleefully added to their programming on the spot.  
  
  
Cody quietly prayed that a Jedi robe or a lightsaber was about to make an appearance in his office, going so far as to whisper ‘kot’ and tap his bracer twice. Much to his dismay, his droids soon popped into view bearing a very familiar hat and pair of goggles. They deposited their gifts on his desk, beeping cheerfully at him. Cody buried his face in his hands. There were _so many_ swear words in his vocabulary but his frazzled brain was having trouble picking the best ones.  
  
  
“Vod’alor!” called a far-too-cheerful voice from outside. “Very creative security droids you have, my friend!”  
  
  
Cody took a deep breath and counted to five before standing. His blaster was in its holster at his side, a steadying weight as always. He stalked across his office to lean out the window and yep, there stood one irrepressible Hondo Ohnaka, beaming up at him and looking odd without his signature hat and goggles.  
  
  
“Ohnaka,” Cody said, voice flat with exhaustion. “It’s late. What do you want?”  
  
  
Hondo glanced around, nodding sagely. “Yes, it is quite late, but did you know it is nearly midday on Florrum?”  
  
  
Cody’s hands flexed on the window frame hard enough to make it creak. His blaster was such a tempting weight on his hip. “I don’t care what time it is on Florrum, Hondo. Why are you here?”  
  
  
“Well I had attempted to break into your apartment to visit you, but you were not there like a sensible person at this hour,” Hondo replied with a shrug. “And that is when I met your security droids! They are truly clever, my friend, I have never been so thoroughly bullied out of my goggles before!”  
  
  
Cody facepalmed, finding the need to take another deep breath before he gave in to the desperate need to shoot the weequay. Maybe just a stunner to the knee… “Hondo. We have a secure comm. You gave it to me. Why are you _here,_ on Concord Dawn, at four in the morning?”  
  
  
“Ah, it is always straight to business with you, Vod’alor. I admire that in a leader.” Hondo’s expression took on a serious cant. “I have some news. The kind of news that must be discussed in person.” Cody quickly nodded, turning and heading down to the courtyard to bring Hondo up to his office. Adrenaline was screaming through him. Hondo reclaimed his hat and goggles, chortling at the two droids and their antics while Cody closed the window and tapped on the jamming device built into his desk. He felt clear-headed for the first time in hours, grimly determined to handle whatever it was that Hondo felt needed his attention today.  
  
  
Hondo waited until Cody had steeled himself before folding his hands behind his back and starting to pace around the office. “My friend, your Concord Dawn looks better every time I see it,” he said, and there came Cody’s headache all over again. “And I have been most impressed with your work in the Outer Rim. So thorough! It is deeply moving that you have been finding so many of your lost Vode, and that you have been willing to listen to a pirate such as myself without ever asking just how much I am going to charge you!” He grinned. “And it will be so much money, Vod’alor!”  
  
  
“I’m sure.” Cody desperately wanted to beg Hondo to get to the point. _Kote_ was patiently waiting for his call to action.  
  
  
“Ah, but now is not the time to talk about my consultant fees,” Hondo said as he fished around an inner pocket of his coat, brandishing a data chip with gusto. “Not everyone has been as great a fan of your work as I, Vod’alor.”  
  
  
Cody took the proffered chip, feeling the weight of millions resting heavily on his shoulders. Kote bore the weight with ease. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be,” he replied, finding a compatible datapad on his desk and plugging it in. “Thank you, Hondo. I’ll handle this.”  
  
  
“Best of luck with that, my friend! Somehow I do not think the rest of the galaxy realized that you brought all of your toys home with you. So short sighted of them!”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a
> 
> Vode: brothers; in this case, the Clones as a people  
> Vod'alor: Clan head of the Vode. (Soft Wars-specific)  
> Shebse: Asses/Assholes. Cody's cadet squad name. (Soft Wars-specific)  
> Kote: glory


	3. Seventy-Two Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the handful of years since the Vode declared no more, Obi-Wan had been on Concord Dawn only once, on the first anniversary of Oya Vode. Every time they’d seen one another since had been at some waypoint as Obi-Wan worked his way through a galaxy’s worth of old Jedi temples, looking for answers to the questions that burned in his soul. Cody waited patiently, knowing Obi-Wan needed this. If he was being honest with himself, Cody needed the time as well. As much as he missed Obi-Wan, this was too important to be selfish. Their calls every tenday and occasional visits would have to sustain him until Obi-Wan found what he was looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this could not have been accomplished without the Soft Wars Discord and all the kind souls that are so eager to encourage and enable writing. Thanks to wanderingjedihistorian and Shira for the betas!

  


Two hours.  
  
  
It had been TWO HOURS since Wolffe had barged in with a brusque “A word?” and then all hell broke loose in his Cody’s office.

  


Cody had _heard_ about Hardcase’s pitch for a reality show of his own, mostly in the form of Rex begging for an intervention over the last few weeks as he was stuck on Coruscant. Hardcase _loved_ filming the video demonstrations he did to showcase the various new weapons and technology being developed on Concord Dawn, and he’d found some contract work testing for a few offworld companies. The success of Fox’s show, however, had given Hardcase some ideas. Ideas his boyfriend didn’t agree with.

  


“All I’m saying is, “You’re Foxed” is so popular, we need a show here on Concord Dawn.” Ah, yes, Hardcase had circled back around to Fox’s show yet again. Cody wasn’t sure if this was the fifth or sixth time he’d brought it up. “And I’ve already got the range!”

  


“We aren’t filming a show completely devoted to explosions in our backyard!” Wolffe snarled. Cody groaned, wondering what he’d done to deserve this. To his left, Bly was perched, snacks in hand, in the office’s only armchair, a holo of Ponds on the armrest. Both Shebse were snickering again. When Bly had shown up, Cody had been hoping for a rescue, not _spectators._ On the other armrest was a second holo of an empty desk where Rex had been at the start of this debate. He’d left “for just a cup of caf'' ten minutes in and had yet to return. Cody was fairly certain he’d heard Kit in the background at some point and they’d gone to dinner. Cody couldn’t wait until the next time Rex was on planet so he could punch him in the face.

  


“It’s not _completely_ devoted to explosions,” Hardcase protested.

  


“Your working title is “Explosions Are Awesome!””

  


“They _are_!”

  


“Hardcase. Wolffe. Please. I am trying to run a planet,” Cody said, desperately trying to find a way to end this other than jumping out of his own window. It would be effective but far too _Jedi_ for him to live it down. “Your proposal is excellent, Hardcase. You have plenty of safety measures in place already, and plans here for how to contain anything larger than your usual demolitions. I don’t see any reason why you can’t film the pilot, as long as you follow a few more guidelines.” Hardcase _beamed_ like a Shiny who’d just been told he had pretty good aim. No wonder Rex had been having trouble reigning this back in long distance.

  


“It’s not just _Hardcase_ in the show,” Wolffe countered, rounding on Cody now that Cody had dared venture an opinion. “He wants kriffing _Domino squad_ in it too! That’s _six_ Torrents in our karking backyard!”

  


“Isn’t that range something like a thousand acres?” Cody wondered. “It barely counts as a backyard, it’s bigger than some of the farms around here.” He evenly met Wolffe’s baleful gaze. “Just… come up with a better name, and add to the safety requirements. I’d rather you have a medic on standby at all times, no matter what you’re filming, and a more robust fire suppression system. And just film at the opposite side of the range from your house. Though I thought you already did that.” Cody’s comm pinged. He ignored it. “Honestly, Wolffe, you don’t have to be there for filming. It might be better for your blood pressure if you weren’t.”

  


His comm pinged again.

  


Cody glanced down, ignoring Wolffe’s angry growl as he realized who was calling. “Everybody out,” he said in his I Am The Vod’alor voice, standing and shoving Hardcase’s presentation materials at him. “This is urgent.”

  


Wolffe glared murderously at him. “This conversation’s not over,” he said firmly as Cody all but shoved him out the door.

  


“It is for now. Bly, _out._ Take your snacks with you.” Bly grumbled at him as he disconnected the two holos, tucked them in a pocket, scooped up his viewing snacks and ran. Cody’s comm pinged twice more before he’d managed to throw everyone out and lock the door.

  


“Cody here,” he finally answered, tapping on the signal jammers out of habit. He was positive at least one Shebse had his office bugged at any given time for brotherly blackmail material. The holo display bloomed into a very distressed Obi-Wan. Cody hoped it was just the lighting; Obi-Wan looked _terrible._

  


“I apologize for calling during your office hours, Cody,” Obi-Wan said softly.

  


“Trust me, I have never been this grateful for a call in my life,” Cody assured him. “Is something wrong?”

  


Obi-Wan frowned. “Yes, unfortunately. My hyperspace drive quit mid-jump and took half the other systems with it. I still have life support, but not much else.”

  


“Are you still flying that hunk of junk Anakin gave you?”

  


Obi-Wan made a face. “Yes, I’m still on board the _Twilight_. Can’t say I’ve been doing much flying, however.” He scoffed. “He was so _earnest_ about it, Cody, but I truly hate this ship.”

  


Cody chuckled softly. “You know we have plenty of ships without any Skywalker Special Additions, right?”

  


“Yes, but then Anakin would sulk and complain to Rex, and Rex would bring it to you, and the next thing I know I’d be guilted back into this dreadful piece of garbage.” Obi-Wan sighed. “I’m two parsecs out from Concord Dawn. Is there any way I could get some assistance?”

  


“That shouldn’t be a problem, hold on. Ping me your location.” Cody pulled up a display of the Vode fleet locations, quickly inputting Obi-Wan’s coordinates once the data appeared on his comm. “There’s a ship nearby that could meet you, but it’s not large enough to bring the _Twilight_ aboard for repairs. They’d have to tow it here to Concord Dawn.” Cody met Obi-Wan’s gaze. “Is that alright? I know you’re not very interested in being planetside.”

  


In the handful of years since the Vode declared no more, Obi-Wan had been on Concord Dawn only once, on the first anniversary of Oya Vode. Every time they’d seen one another since had been at some waypoint as Obi-Wan worked his way through a galaxy’s worth of old Jedi temples, looking for answers to the questions that burned in his soul. Cody waited patiently, knowing Obi-Wan needed this. If he was being honest with himself, Cody needed the time as well. As much as he missed Obi-Wan, this was too important to be selfish. Their calls every tenday and occasional visits would have to sustain him until Obi-Wan found what he was looking for.

  


Obi-Wan’s expression was brittle for a moment before he managed to slide a smile across it, smoothing away that glimpse of vulnerability with practiced ease. “That will be fine. Anakin will never forgive me if someone else lays a finger on this ship, after all.”

  


Cody smiled despite himself. “I’ll contact the ship and arrange a rendezvous. Please comm me immediately if something else breaks before they get there.”

  


“Yes, dear,” Obi-Wan said, glancing at the readouts to see if something else _had_ broken in the scant minutes they’d been talking. “Thank you.”

  


“I’ll meet you at the spaceport,” Cody promised, ending the call and setting up the rendezvous to bring the _Twilight_ to Concord Dawn. It would be a quick rescue; there was no telling if life support would hold out and Cody wouldn’t let them risk it. Absently he started shutting down his computer system for the night. He still needed to comm Anakin to meet at the spaceport for repairs, but the spaceport was only one stop down on the light rail. He would have plenty of time to call Anakin. Cody was nearly giddy with nervous energy as he stepped into the hall. He hadn’t seen Obi-Wan in _months_ , they hadn’t even started discussing the next time they could meet, but now his lover would be here in only a matter of hours.

  


Cody winced when he saw Hardcase and Wolffe lingering in the hallway and wondered if it was too late to opt to rappel out his window instead. He knew for a fact it was one of Torrent's preferred methods of getting around. No. He was Vod'alor, and Shebse or no Shebse he was going to walk past them like a Reasonable Person and hopefully he would not be followed. If that argument picked back up he was stunning both of them and leaving them there. Plan of action determined, Cody pulled his office door shut and made his move, using his tried-and-true Marshal Commander Walk in the vain hope it would work out in his favor. Considering Wolffe was involved, it had a low chance of success. Cody tried anyway.

  


"...you said _our_ backyard," Hardcase was saying, starry-eyed. Wolffe looked an inch from strangling him.

  


"We've lived together for more than a year," he snapped.

  


"Hardcase, you're dismissed. Wolffe, with me," Cody said, quickly interrupting before there was a murder. Hardcase nodded and shot Wolffe a final dopey grin before leaving.

  


“What’s the emergency?” Wolffe asked once Hardcase had disappeared around a corner.

  


“I didn’t want a death in my hallway,” Cody said with a shrug. “The mouse droids are fine with blood but they refuse to handle dead bodies.”

  


Wolffe mulled over that a moment before nodding. “Fair enough. Who commed?”

  


“I’ll tell you if you tell me why you’re so against Hardcase’s show,” Cody countered. Wolffe’s expression at once turned mulish and angry, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Cody waited. Wolffe always needed time to figure out how to word something and Cody would always give him that time.

  


“He knows what he’s doing,” Wolffe finally managed to grumble out. “Too well, even. But this is different from filming weapon demonstrations. He’s… He’s going to get hurt. Taken advantage of. I don’t want to stop him, but I don’t want to see him get his heart broken.”

  


“So what do you need me to do?” Cody asked. “You could’ve just… commed me and not spent two hours arguing with your boyfriend in my office.” Wolffe was glaring at the wall like it had personally offended him. Cody shifted, pressing into his brother’s space and pulling him into Keldabe. “What do you need,” Cody asked again, softer, more gently.

  


“...Help me keep him safe. I love the idiot but I don’t know how to keep him safe from something like this.” Wolffe’s voice was barely above a whisper, the words coming slowly, painfully dragged from some hidden place. Cody nodded.

  


“Both you and Hardcase trust Rex. Rex will put his best men on it to make sure the contract is fair. And I’ll ask Fox about how he negotiates his own, too.”

  


Wolffe relaxed slightly against him, a sound not unlike a sob escaping before he managed to reign in his composure again. “Thank you.”

  


Cody smiled, letting Wolffe pull away when he felt ready to. “You’re welcome.” He made it two steps before Wolffe fell into step beside him.

  


“Soooo... who commed?” Wolffe had gone entirely from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘complete asshole’ in five seconds.

  


Oh, sithspit. Cody had forgotten all about that agreement. He did his best to sound casual. “Kenobi’s hyperdrive failed and he needed assistance. He was only two parsecs out so it wasn’t too much to divert one of our fleet to tow him in.”

  


Wolffe’s face lit up with mischief. “Oh, really now? Is that why you’re leaving your office while the sun’s still up?”

  


Cody ignored him, speeding up and aiming for the light rail node that ran through the building. It hadn’t originally, but as the administration complex had expanded it made sense to simply incorporate the stop into the building rather than build around it. Having the light rail open into the lobby itself made commuting easier, anyway. They rounded the final corner to the lobby and there stood Hardcase, eagerly explaining his pitch for “Explosions are Awesome” to some poor vod who must’ve made the mistake of making eye contact and politely saying hello.

  


Cody clapped Wolffe on the back, shoving him towards Hardcase. “Go have an Adult Conversation,” he suggested with a smirk. “About the actual reason you’re unhappy about the show. Also possibly about living together, he doesn’t seem to understand that’s a thing yet.”

  


Wolffe shot him a glare full of poison. “No amount of conversation has helped with that,” he groused. “It’ll take a karking miracle.”

  


“Kot,” Cody said unsympathetically, tapping his bracer twice and jogging the last few meters to catch the closing door of the light rail. The door shut behind him and he sighed in relief. There was not a single Shebse in sight; freedom at last. He sent off a message to Anakin, briefly explaining the problem and requesting he meet the _Twilight_ when it arrived for repairs.

  


Cody soon arrived at the spaceport, located the correct hangar and settled in to wait, finding himself a suitable place to lurk without being noticed. He schooled his expression into Inconvenienced Commander and wished he’d thought to grab a datapad on his way out so he could have something to do. A bit of glancing around scored a cargo manifest that he could pretend was Very Important Vod’alor Paperwork. It served well as a shield but it was the most boring list he could have possibly found. 23 crates of yarn, really? He knew fiber arts were a popular hobby but reading the incredibly detailed descriptions of colorways and dye lots and fiber composition made him go cross eyed.

  


“Oh, good, they’re not here yet.” Anakin appeared in his peripheral vision and Cody managed to not flinch. Damn Jedi sneaking around like tookas...

  


“Obi-Wan was already picked up and they’ll be here soon,” Cody assured him.

  


“What happened to the hyperdrive?”

  


“I don’t know, I told you everything Obi-Wan told me. It stopped mid-jump.”

  


“...I wonder if he was running the caf maker at the same time...”

  


Cody glared. “No. Absolutely not. You did not _risk Obi-Wan’s life_ because you routed something through the _caf maker._ ”

  


The incoming ship alarm going off was all that saved Anakin’s life as his response was drowned out. Both turned their attention to the pair of ships swooping down, the _Twilight_ gently set down in the hangar before its escort disconnected and landed in the next hangar over. Anakin immediately went to assess the _Twilight_ while Cody moved to meet the vode disembarking from the rescue ship. Obi-Wan was among them, being cheerfully talked at from all directions. It hadn’t been intentional but the crew had been mostly 212th Airborne. Cody repressed a smile as he moved to rescue his lover from his enthusiastic rescuers. As he drew closer he could see how stiffly Obi-Wan was moving, and how he seemed to jolt every time he was patted or jostled. Touch-starved again, it seemed. He spent too much time alone. Hopefully he wasn’t also hiding an injury.

  


“Thank you again for your assistance, Odd Ball,” Obi-Wan was saying when he finally noticed Cody, and a soft smile bloomed across his face. “I always can count on you.”

  


“I didn’t even have to ask them to make it quick,” Cody said, getting a chorus of ‘oya!’ from the group. “Anakin’s here,” he added, sliding close to Obi-Wan and resisting the urge to take him by the arm. If Obi-Wan wanted the touch, he would have to initiate it. The look Obi-Wan granted him as he settled into his orbit was impossibly fond. “He’ll repair the ship.”

  


“Oh, good.” Obi-Wan’s smile turned fragile again. Cody wanted nothing more than to gather him up and hide him away until he no longer had that sad, haunted look in his eyes. He steered them away from the milling vode towards the _Twilight_ , rolling his eyes when he realized Anakin was already half-buried in the engine. “Anakin,” Obi-Wan called, tapping Anakin’s foot with his own. “I need to leave in the next 48 hours.” Anakin’s response was muffled.

  


“Seventy-two,” Cody countered firmly. Obi-Wan shot him a look of frustration. Anakin extracted himself enough to look at both of them, not sure who to listen to. “Anakin, please go over the entire engine, slowly, and take breaks to eat and sleep. Rex will kill me if you aren’t taking care of yourself.”

  


“Rex is on Coruscant,” Anakin replied, selecting a tool from the case at his thigh and disappearing into the engine again.

  


“We both know that’s not enough to stop him. Take seventy-two hours, Anakin. Make sure this doesn’t happen again. Please.”

  


“You’ve got it, ‘alor,” Anakin called cheekily, voice echoing oddly off the components he was crawling into. “I’ll comm you when it’s done.”

  


“If it’s nighttime please wait until morning,” Cody suggested.

  


“I do have places to be,” Obi-Wan protested, though Cody was sure it was a front to disguise just how uncomfortable he was to be here on Concord Dawn again.

  


“I know you do. I want you to get to them alive.” Cody smiled serenely at Obi-Wan, watching him try to find a way to argue against that point and finally giving up with a huff.

  


“That’s not… unreasonable,” he allowed, folding his arms into his robes. “Fine, then. Anakin, take whatever time you need. I must admit, I don’t want to end up adrift in space again.”

  


“Oh, master, that reminds me. Were you running the caf maker when you tried to make the jump to hyperspace?” Anakin called absently.

  


Obi-Wan whirled to stare in his general direction. “Anakin!”

  


“Anakin Skywalker-Naberrie of Torrent of Vode, I want every single system on that ship to be running separately, do you hear me?” Cody’s Vod’alor voice echoed in the suddenly very still hangar. Anakin jumped at the tone and there was a clang and muffled ‘ow.’

  


“Yes, ner ’alor,” Anakin replied. He sounded sheepish. Obi-Wan managed to smother a bark of laughter into a cough. Cody sighed and gestured for Obi-Wan to follow him, leading the way to the light rail node.

  


“I doubt it’ll actually take seventy-two hours,” Cody assured him softly once they were underway. “I just want him to be thorough. I don’t want to get a call like that again.” _Or worse,_ he thought.

  


“Yes, well.” Obi-Wan seemed to be at a loss and busied himself looking out the window. “There has been quite a lot of development since I was here last.”

  


“We keep busy.” Cody was so proud of his vode. “I’ve started working on my own place,” he admitted casually. He hadn’t told Obi-Wan yet, he realized. “It was that or Ponds was going to have Fox design something awful. It’s nowhere near done, but it gives me something to do.”

  


“Oh, that’s… that’s excellent, Cody,” Obi-Wan said, turning and granting him the first _sincere_ smile since he’d arrived. “I remember your quarters on the _Negotiator_ and how proud you were of them. I look forward to seeing it.”

  


“Well, it’s not going to be anytime soon.” Cody shrugged. “So far it’s an enclosed space but that’s about it.”

  


“You’re prowling to find pieces to restore, aren’t you.”

  


“It’s something to keep me busy,” Cody said, relieved to see the admin building. It was a bit strange getting off the light rail and then leaving the building, as he was usually heading back to his office, but he led the way towards the blocks of apartments that housed most of the admin staff. ...And himself. He hated his apartment but was in no hurry to finish his house either. Now that he’d started, he had some very specific ideas but they would take time. When he was particularly lonely Cody tended to go crash on his brother’s couches. It kept Ponds off his back about eating regularly if one of the Shebse was the one feeding him, after all. Cody unlocked the door, letting Obi-Wan step through and directly into the path of Widget and Gizmo, who eagerly divested him of his outer robe and lightsaber.

  


Obi-Wan grumbled and stepped the rest of the way in so Cody could close the door. Both Widget and Gizmo hovered just out of his reach, gleefully taunting him. “I imagine they won’t be giving those back,” he mused.

  


“Not if you intend to put them back on.” Cody grinned. “Anakin expanded their parameters to keep them busy. They go straight for Ohnaka’s hat and goggles when he shows up.”

  


Obi-Wan valiantly attempted to keep a straight face. Cody maintained eye contact and slowly extended an arm, palm up. Widget gracefully draped Obi-Wan’s robe across his arm as Gizmo gently dropped the saber into his hand. “Here, you dropped these,” Cody said politely. Obi-Wan disintegrated into giggles, which gave way to nearly hysterical laughter that brought tears in his eyes. Cody grinned and set both items down on the nearest horizontal surface.

  


“Oh, my dear, I truly have missed you.” Obi-Wan stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug. Cody sighed in relief and hugged back.

  


“I’ve missed you too.” Obi-Wan was warm and solid in his arms, though Cody was pretty sure he’d lost weight. He was also shivering. Cody had to fight not to sigh. “When was the last time you ate?”

  


“Honestly I’m more tired than hungry,” Obi-Wan admitted. “And if your brothers are to be believed, you’re not taking very good care of yourself, either. When was the last time _you_ ate?”

  


This time, Cody did sigh. “Which one?”

  


“Oh Cody, do you really believe only one of them would comm me with their concerns for your wellbeing?” Obi-Wan chuckled, finally extracting himself from Cody’s arms. “What a pair we make. And to answer your question, I heard from Wolffe and Bly today.”

  


Cody groaned and went to look in the conservator in the vain hope that there might miraculously be something to eat in there. “Of course you did,” he groused, finding just as little in the way of groceries as he’d thought. When was the last time he’d even _cooked?_

  


“They have a schedule,” Obi-Wan added. He snagged a stack of take-out menus off the top of the conservator, paging through them out of curiosity. “Just order something, Cody, I think we both know there’s nothing in there. Do you have a preference?”

  


“Ugh, Fine, we’ll get take-out.” He closed the door, shaking his head, and tapped the top piece of flimsi. “This one’s close,” he said.

  


“Do they know where you live?” Obi-Wan mused, looking down the selected menu. “If Rex is to be believed you either eat in your office or at his house.”

  


“Give me your comm, I’m blocking all of their frequencies,” Cody threatened.

  


“Too late, I’m ordering dinner,” Obi-Wan replied airily. Copy opted to go flop on the couch, mortified. He reluctantly sat up when Obi-Wan joined him, letting the Jedi stretch out across the couch, head pillowed in Cody’s lap. Cody carded his fingers through Obi-Wan’s hair, drawing a sigh from his lover. “Missed this,” Obi-Wan mumbled, eyes fluttering closed as he enjoyed the touch. He was shaking again. Cody kept his touch light, letting him get used to it.

  


“You missed getting take-out delivered to my sad apartment?” Cody teased. “Or missed giving me a hard time about taking care of myself when you’re worse than I am?”

  


“Well I was going to say I missed being with you but since you’ve given me so many options…” Obi-Wan opened his eyes and beamed up at Cody. Cody’s heart ached. He swallowed. There were so many things he wanted to say.

  


“Food’ll be here soon,” he managed instead. “We can talk after.”

  


“My mistake, I was under the impression we’ve been talking this whole time.”

  


“ _Talk_ , talk,” Cody emphasized. “Like adults. Not bantering. Or _flirting_ , either, Kenobi.”

  


Obi-Wan actually pouted at that. “I’ll have you know I can do all three of those things at the same time.”

  


“After the food gets here,” Cody promised, returning to running fingers through his hair. Obi-Wan made a non-commital noise and reached up to catch one of Cody’s hands in his, softly kissing the palm. “Obi-Wan, please. Wait.”

  


“Yes, dear. My apologies.” Obi-Wan didn’t let go of his hand, instead opting to lace their fingers together, but he quieted. Cody let himself drift a bit, relaxing. His couch was actually rather comfortable, for all he never sat on it. Of course, he’d never been involved in picking it out; Ponds had been the one to furnish his apartment. Or rather Fox had made the choices and let Ponds claim credit. Fox seemed to go out of his way to disengage himself from Cody as much as he could unless he was trying to annoy him.

  


Cody jumped at the knocking when their food arrived. Obi-Wan was blinking blearily up at him and appeared to have been asleep. Cody quickly paid and thanked the vod making the delivery, thrilled to lock the door and know they didn’t have to interact with anyone else for the rest of the night. Glancing back at the couch to where Obi-Wan was still not quite awake, he knew they likely wouldn’t be doing anything more interesting than curling up together to sleep, but at least he still had Obi-Wan to himself.

  


Cody was right; Obi-Wan was nodding off halfway through his meal. Cody put their leftovers away and guided Obi-Wan back towards the bedroom, feeling a heady sense of deja vu as he knelt to take off the Jedi’s boots. Obi-Wan made a token noise of protest but was asleep by the time he was fully horizontal. Quickly changing into a pair of soft sleep pants, Cody joined him, tucking them both in.

  


“Mesh’la,” he murmured, running his fingers through Obi-Wan’s hair again and earning a soft grumble in response. Cody gave in to his own exhaustion and closed his eyes, excited at the prospect of a few days with his boyfriend without having to plan anything.

  


Hours later the peace was destroyed by the roar of a descending ship. For a moment Cody was disoriented, thinking he was back in the war and waiting for a LAAT/i to finish landing for evac. The building shook with the nearness of it and Cody staggered out of bed, running for the living room windows. Were they under attack?

  


WIth a final rumble the ship finished its descent and landed no more than 50 meters away from the apartment complex in the small green. Cody could only stare in disbelief as he realized _he recognized that ship._

  


The gangplank lowered as Cody was violently opening the window. A very familiar figure stepped out.

  


“GODSDAMNIT OHNAKA,” Cody bellowed, furious. “What the _kriff_ do you think you’re doing?! The spaceport’s _right there_!” He gestured in its general direction, as if that was going to do anything about the space craft parked in front of his apartment.

  


Hondo glanced up, affronted. “Vod’alor, I am your very trusted friend and ally! And yet you expect me park at the spaceport like a common tourist?!"

  


Obi-Wan had joined him to gape at the scene unfolding in the courtyard. “Please tell me I’m dreaming,” Obi-Wan begged.

  


“Unfortunately not,” Cody growled, heading outside to continue yelling at Hondo, Obi-Wan on his heels. As he rushed out, doors and windows opened, other vode demanding to know what was going on. “Hondo you’ve woken up the entire godsdamn neighborhood, what do you think you’re doing?!”

  


Obi-Wan made a soft noise and grabbed Cody’s arm, pointing. In Hondo’s shadow, clinging to his leg, was a small child, barely more than a toddler. “Hello, little one,” Obi-Wan greeted in a gentle voice, approaching slowly. “You’ve had quite an adventure, haven’t you?”

  


“Hondo, what’s going on,” Cody growled, no longer shouting so he wouldn’t scare the child.

  


“Ah, well, Obi-Wan is building a Jedi temple here on Concord Dawn, and this little one managed to pick my pocket the other day! I only noticed when I saw my credits floating away, and I said to myself, “Hondo, your friend Kenobi is building a temple, he will need Force-sensitive children!” I checked, the child was an orphan. I planned to meet up with Kenobi the next time he stopped but then realized his ship was here, on Concord Dawn, and I knew exactly where he would be, yes?” Hondo looked truly pleased with himself. He patted the child’s head, ruffling their hair, and encouraged them towards Obi-Wan. “He is a Jedi, he will be able to help you,” he said softly. “Just as I promised.”

  


Cody pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache starting. “What temple?”

  


“Kenobi told me all about it what, a month ago? Though perhaps he forgot to tell you. We were both very drunk at the time.”

  


“It was an _idea,_ Hondo, for the future,” Obi-Wan hissed. “Not something being done already! I _know_ I said that. I hadn’t even told Cody about it yet.”

  


“Oh! Well, now he knows! Obi-Wan wants to build a Jedi temple here on Concord Dawn, Vod’alor.”

  


Cody sighed, taking a moment to compose himself. “Yeah, I figured that out, thanks.”

  


Hondo chuckled to himself, fishing a few candies from a pocket and pressing them into the child’s hand. “Here you go. You will stay here, I need to go do important pirate things now, yes? Good.” The child accepted the candy with a solemn nod and walked the rest of the way to Obi-Wan, who was quick to gently introduce himself. “Do not worry about showing me out, I know the way,” Hondo called cheerfully, bounding back up the gangplank. “Thank you for your hospitality!” With a roar, the ship’s engines restarted and the ship quickly disappeared into the sky, leaving a significant crater in the green space. Most of Cody’s neighbors were still watching and started demanding answers once it was quiet enough to be heard.

  


“Go back to sleep, everyone,” Cody called, feeling very, very tired himself. “I won’t allow that to happen again. My apologies.” He didn’t know _how_ he was going to be able to keep that promise, outside of having Hondo’s ship shot down on sight, but maybe he could threaten the pirate enough to convince him to land where he was supposed to. The various neighbors listened, doors and windows closing, until it was quiet once again. Cody shivered; it was cool at night, and he’d come charging outside wearing nothing but a pair of sleep pants.

  


“I really was going to talk with you, Cody, but it wasn’t anything I was thinking about for the near future,” Obi-Wan said softly, scooping the child up and propping them up on his hip. Always able to befriend nearly anything, the child was already comfortable enough to be carried and rested their head against Obi-Wan’s shoulder, eyes drooping with sleep. One small hand latched onto Obi-Wan’s robes. Cody’s heart ached for a someday when that could be their child but quickly brushed the feeling aside. Now wasn’t the time to get sentimental.

  


“It’s- don’t worry about it. Let’s just go back inside. We’ll call Aayla or Shaak or Depa… No, definitely Aayla. If I don’t get to sleep, neither does Bly,” Cody replied, resigning himself to not getting any more sleep tonight. “It’s not like we don’t know what to do with children around here. What’s one more?”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a
> 
> vod: brother  
> Vode: brothers; in this case, the Clones as a people  
> Vod'alor: Clan head of the Vode. (Soft Wars-specific)  
> Shebse: Asses/Assholes. Cody's cadet squad name. (Soft Wars-specific)  
> Mesh'la: Beautiful  
> alor: My chief  
> Oya: Let's Hunt!


End file.
